Parliamentary questions
Robin Harper
759 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
5 Jun 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a systematic procedure for assessing whether its legislation or action plans will have an impact on children and young people; if so, what this procedure is and why it has not been formalised and made public, and, if not, what action it is taking to ensure that a procedure …
Answer · Robert Brown: The Executive is committed toensuring that the needs and rights of children and young people are considered inthe development and implementation of policy and legislation. <i>Our Child StrategyStatement</i>, which was published in 2000, commits the Executive …
15 May 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is an increased risk of the H5N1 flu virus spreading to reared game birds in Scotland through the importing of game birds from Europe for release in Scotland for sport shooting and, if so, what measures it will take in order to counter this risk.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Importation of game birds intothe UK from other European countries is done under strict EU-wide trade rules andis subject to veterinary supervision. As such this legal trade does not representa significant risk of spreading H5N1 avian influenza and the Execut…
20 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns about the lack of a publicly-funded mountain weather forecast for outdoor users in Scotland freely available on the internet, given that the Welsh Assembly Government, the Sports Council for Wales and the Wales Tourist Board provide such a service for Wales.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: On 28 April the Met Office willbe replacing the phone or fax mountain weather forecast service currently availableby a two-day forecast which will be available free of charge via the internet.</p><p>The Executive has received areport from the Mountaineering C…
15 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, for purposes of implementation of the EU Birds and Habitats directives, sportscotland is a competent authority in relation to its functions of promoting or supporting sporting activities that may affect protected sites or species and, if not, what measures are in place to ensure …
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: In terms of Regulation 6 of the<i>Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations 1994</i>, the Scottish SportsCouncil trading as <b>sport</b>scotland is a competent authority. To the extentthat its activities are likely to affect protected sites or speci…
15 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what training has been undertaken by the board members and staff of sportscotland in relation to their responsibilities to protect and enhance the environment and wildlife.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-24317 answered 24 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…
15 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to sportscotland in relation to its duties to protect and enhance the environment and wildlife.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-24317 on 24 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at: <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…
15 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what duties apply to sportscotland in relation to ensuring that, in the exercise of its functions, it has to protect and enhance the environment and wildlife.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: <b>Sport</b>scotland is subject to the same environmental dutiesand responsibilities which apply to the public sector in Scotland ingeneral. In addition, the Minister for Environment and Rural Affairs wrote toall non departmental public bodies in August 2004 …
28 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have commenced greenspace audits.
Answer · Johann Lamont: This information is not heldcentrally. However, as part of independent research part-funded by the Executiveon <i>Minimum Standards for Open Space,</i> researchers contacted all Scottish localauthorities seeking information on progress towards the preparation…
22 Feb 2006 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address any issues in respect of increased waiting times to see epilepsy specialists resulting from a review of epilepsy patients as recommended in the new General Medical Services contracts.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: We understand the importancefor patients of getting prompt access to specialist advice. Through re-design initiatives,we wish to see staff such as specialist nurses deployed to deal with follow-up treatment,in order to allow consultant neurologists to have mo…
12 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any uncertainties concerning European Social Fund Objective 3 funding for voluntary organisations and, if so, what steps the Scottish ESF Objective 3 Partnership is taking to address these concerns.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is very aware of the importance of keeping partner organisations such as the voluntary sector informed about the reducing levels of funding available as the current ESF Objective 3 Programme nears its end, and about the lower amounts of…
12 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Objective 3 Programme Management Executive will be allowed to vire funding between measures of the European Social Fund Objective 3 Programme and, if so, when.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Any decision on virement of funds between measures within Priorities in the Objective 3 ESF Programme is taken by the Programme Monitoring Committee which is broadly representative of the Partner organisations. The Committee’s next meeting when virement of fu…
12 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the removal, under certain circumstances, of the right to appeal against funding decisions under measure 2.4 of the European Social Fund Objective 3 Programme was a decision of the Scottish ESF Objective 3 Partnership or the Executive.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Objective 3 ESF Programme Monitoring Committee took the decision on the appeals process for the 6th Round of the Programme in 2005. In arriving at a decision on the procedure the Programme Monitoring Committee, which is broadly representative of the partn…
9 Nov 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide planning advice to all local authorities on the provision of dedicated space in new-build schools for (a) registered daycare services for children and (b) after-school clubs and whether the advice will be clearly defined and responsibilities identified.
Answer · Peter Peacock: It is appropriate, and consistent with their statutory responsibilities for the provision of schools, that local authorities should decide on what is to be included within the specification of a new school and whether facilities should be housed in dedicated …
26 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has applied for a share of any money that remains in the Department of Trade and Industry’s renewables obligation fund; how much remains in the fund, and whether it will prioritise a proportion of any such funding for the development of biomass-fuelled district heating and comb…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: There is no central fund connectedwith the Renewables Obligation. However, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)has been operating a Bioenergy Capital Grants Scheme during the last two years,available to suitable applicants from across Great Britain. Ini…
21 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many licences for the control of (a) badgers, (b) otters, (c) pine martens, (d) wildcats, (e) herons and (f) bats have been issued since 1999.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Licences are issued under the relevant provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981,The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 and the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 where there is no satisfactory alternative to permitting a derogati…
21 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cormorants have been killed by licensed culls since 1999.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: We have not issued any licences to cull cormorants. However, in the period from 1 January 1999 to date, a total of 650 cormorants have been shot under licences where cases have been made that the birds are causing serious damage to fisheries.</p>
21 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many licences for the control of cormorants have been issued since 1999.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: In the period from 1 January 1999 to date we have issued 110 licences to shoot cormorants as an aid to scaring for the purpose of protecting fisheries from serious damage.</p>
21 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its response will be to the reduction of 6% in the number of clinical academic staff in 2004.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Matters relating to staffinglevels within higher education institutions (HEIs) are the responsibility of theinstitutions. Standards in Scotland’s medical and dental schools are monitored by the QualityAssurance Agency through a system of peer review. The Gene…
21 Oct 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond to the invitation from the National Coordinating Centre for Research Capacity Development and the UK Clinical Research Collaboration to enter the new scheme for the training of clinical academics.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive togetherwith the Scottish Funding Council, NHS Education for Scotland and the medical deanshave recently established a committee to consider how best to respond to the developmentsin England and Wales regarding integrated training pathw…
18 Jul 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects to receive the results of the recent in-service demonstration sea trials of the S2087 sonar system fitted to the HMS Westminster which took place from 2 to 6 July 2005 and, if so, when and what the implications are for the marine environment.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The testing of militarysonar is a reserved matter which falls within the responsibility of theMinistry of Defence.</p><p>I understand the results of the recent In Service Date (ISD) sea trials of the S2087 sonar system arecurrently under analysis by the Minis…
11 Jul 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when its Fuel Poverty Forum will next meet.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive Fuel Poverty Forum met on 7 July 2005 and the provisional date for the next meeting is 23 August 2005.</p>
25 May 2005 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to ensure that the current review of school education delivers sustainable development, as referred to in the Partnership Agreement, in particular in respect of school buildings, the curriculum and how schools are run.
Answer · Euan Robson: Integration of cross-curricular issues such as sustainable development will be considered in the next phase of the curriculum review. Sustainable development is a key component of the School Estate Strategy in Scotland.</p>
3 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of households eligible to receive support from the central heating programme have been granted such support.
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>The central heating programme is a demand-led scheme with eligibility determined against a set of published criteria. Every applicant to the…
3 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households have benefited from the central heating programme since its inception and what the total expenditure on the scheme has been.
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>The total expenditure on the central heating programme from April 2001 to March 2004 is £96.163 million, inclusive of the managing agent fee…
3 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of households entitled to a grant under the warm deal initiative have been awarded a grant.
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>The warm deal programme is a demand-led scheme with eligibility determined against a set of published criteria. Every applicant to the warm …
3 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households have received warm deal grants for energy efficiency measures each year since the initiative's inception and what the total expenditure on the initiative has been.
Answer · Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p> <p>The total expenditure on the warm deal programme from April 1999 to March 2004 was £52.228 million, inclusive of the managing agent fees for…
24 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to monitor the effectiveness of its guidelines on home education.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Following publication of the guidance in March 2004, the Scottish Executive wrote to Directors of Education to emphasise the need for local authority policies to reflect it. We have also established an e-mail address at <a href="http://home.education@scotland…
22 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish fishing vessels have licences to fish in West African waters under agreements negotiated through the European Union or the United Kingdom.
Answer · Ross Finnie: No Scottish vessels have licences to fish in West African waters under agreements negotiated through the European Union or United Kingdom.</p>
22 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been involved in any negotiations to provide Scottish-registered fishing vessels with licences to fish in non-EU waters.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Yes. The Scottish Executive is routinely involved in the annual negotiations that provide Scottish registered fishing vessels with licences to fish in Norwegian, Icelandic and Faroese waters, across a range of established fisheries.</p>
22 Mar 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) last provided an estimate of the tonnage of illegally-landed fish.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The SFPA has never provided an estimate of the tonnage of illegally landed fish.</p>